The Dark Side of Maharashtra's Hinterland: The Rise of Fake Call Centres
Fake call centres, once largely confined to major metros like Mumbai and Pune, have quietly spread into Maharashtra’s hinterland, operating out of tier 2 cities and industrial townships. Drawn by cheaper real estate, reliable internet connectivity, and a steady pool of English-speaking youth with prior BPO experience, these operations are now running global scams far from the scrutiny faced in major cities.
For law enforcement agencies, the shift has exposed systemic gaps: weak monitoring of internet services, lax verification of business registrations, fragmented regulatory oversight, and limited coordination between local police and Central agencies. These loopholes, officers said, allow fraudulent call centres to resurface almost as quickly as they are shut down.
Over the past year, the Maharashtra Police have busted several such operations in Igatpuri, Nashik, and Aurangabad. A senior IPS officer who has led multiple raids on fake call centres said their growth is largely enabled by unregulated internet access. “These bogus call centres are running because they get internet facilities easily from service providers. There are no restrictions or monitoring agencies overseeing internet services. All that is required is a registered firm. The accused register firms using bogus documents, and no one verifies whether the company actually exists at the address submitted. It is enough to submit a company certificate to the internet service provider to get a connection,” the officer said.
Concerned by the scale of fraud and the possibility of official complicity, Central agencies have also stepped in. This year, in August and September, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided two call centres in Nashik and Igatpuri, suspecting the involvement of public servants, including police and bank officials, and arrested several people. Last month, following large financial transactions linked to these cases, the Enforcement Directorate’s Mumbai unit initiated proceedings to trace the money trail.
Setting up such operations requires little more than basic infrastructure. After registering a firm on bogus documents and obtaining a licence under the Shop and Establishment Act from the local municipal authority, operators rent an apartment and equip it with chairs, tables, electricity, and an internet connection. From there, they start calling people overseas using VoIP numbers. With no dedicated authority in India to monitor such businesses, operators often function from small apartments in residential buildings, employing only a handful of people working on laptops.
The police broadly classify fake call centres into two categories: financial and non-financial, both of which require basic networking knowledge and prior experience in legitimate call centres. Financial call centres are allegedly involved in high-value frauds, including trading scams, loan and insurance fraud, impersonation of US tax officials, and debit and credit card scams. Victims are lured into fake investments in mutual funds and insurance products, including health and home insurance.
Non-financial call centres typically target customers facing software or router-related issues. Operators register with Google AdWords, placing advertisements that prompt overseas customers to call them. Victims in the US, UK, and Canada are also targeted for the illegal sale of Viagra and other banned medicines. Communication is carried out using VoIP services. In both models, a partner abroad provides a local address and contact number. For instance, a group targeting US residents will use American contact details in online advertisements to gain credibility, while the operation itself runs from India.
The rapid spread of fake call centres in smaller towns is closely linked to the availability of computer-literate, English-speaking youth in semi-urban districts. With growing access to IT courses, BPO training institutes, and basic technical education, these regions offer a low-cost workforce that scam operators readily exploit. A senior IPS officer said that nine illegal call centres were busted in Mumbai in 2024. But in spite of heightened vigilance, the number has slightly increased, with 10 such centres being raided this year. “Lakhs of people use the internet, so monitoring each individual or entity is difficult unless there is specific intelligence,” the officer said.
Sometimes, a call centre may be running legally, but within the same office or campus, certain sections operate illegally. That makes monitoring harder. However, such setups usually don’t last long, as the police eventually get information, even if some damage is done in the interim.
